Collapsible tube



May 9, 1933. H, wElRlCH 1,908,584

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed Nov. 5, 1931 INVENTOR. F76' 4 HE//vR/cw wE/R/cH f ATTORNEY.

Patented May 9, 19.33

HEINRICH WEIRIC, 'OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Application led November 5, 1931. Serial No. 573,131.

This invention relates to Collapsible tubes and has for its object the provision of a new and improved tube of this type.

More particularly stated,` one of the objects of this invention is to providea collapsible tube with'pressure `responsive opening means. Another object of this invention is to make a collapsible tube 'having pressure resp-onsive opening means which will be easy to manufacture, assemble and produce. f

The abo-ve as well as other objects of this invention and the advantages arising'therefrom will become evident from the following description and the drawing which form a part thereof. l v

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front View of` a collapsible tube equipped with my pressure responsive closing means.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1 of the upper portion of the tube shown in Figure 1. The closed or normal position of the closure member and holding spring is shown Aby the full lines while the dot and dash lines show the open position of these elements.

Figure 3 is a side View of the tion of the tube shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a' section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 1. The closed position of the closure member is shown 'by the full lines while the open position of these elements is shown by the dot and dash lines.

' Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein similar reference numerals denote similar parts, reference numeral l denotes the tube as a unit which terminates in a top portion 2 having an aperture 3 formed at the upper end thereof. Oneof the bounding 4o walls of vthe aperture 3 serves to'support the wall 9 ofthe tubular member 13 when pressure is applied to the wall 1 0 by the spring 11 thus` furnishing the reaction surface 'necessary in order to permit the spring 11 to close the mouth `l2 of the member 13. .F or the wall of the aperture 3 any other suitable reaction surface may be substituted. The lower end of the topmember12 terminates in a U- shaped flange which receives and holds the closure supporting member 4. The closure member 13 and keeps the same in its closed upper por-- 6 which receives and holds the Walls 9 andj55 10 of the closure element 13. The flange portion 5 also receives an end of the spring 11 which normally presses against the-closure position. 60 The closure element 13 may be madeof any material desired having the necessary'qualities of flexibility and non permeability to the substance Within the tube. .At present I prefer to make the closure member 13 of 65v cloth covered with cellophane or similar material. The cellophane on the outside makes the cloth airtight while the softirregular surface formedlby the cloth constituting the inner surface of the tube helps to form -a 20 closed and airtight mouth .when the ends of the Walls 9 and 10 are pressedtogether, thus obviating the possibility of any opening in the mouth of the closure member when pressure is applied to close thev same. I prefer to apply the cellophane in the form of a varnish. kIt is to be understood, however, that it may be applied in any desired manner. It is also to be understood that for the cello phane any lacquer which will make the outer .80 surface of the cloth or other memberA which is used as a closure memberl airtight may beV substituted. It is also to be understood that if desired the cellophane or lacquer may ,be applied ontheinner surface lof Ithe cloth- "I, however, prefer that the' inner :surface be made of cloth or some similarmaterial which results in a practically airtight mouth due, among other things, to thefbindingof the many soft irregular surfaces whenv pressure is applied to the same. Itisbto bel understood that for the cellophanetreated lcloth may be substituted anymateriahwhich has the necessary qualities-'of airtightness and flexibility. vi Q f In use pressure against the' walls of lthe tube 1 is transmitted to its contents and gre'-y sults inan voutward pressure against, the k'walls 9and 10 of the memberland also an uplward pressure against the' mouth 12 of 'the 100 member 13. This forces the wall and spring 11 to assumelthe positions shown by the dot and dash lines in Figure 2 and results in the opening of the mouth 12 of the closure member 13. (The open position of the mouth 12 is shown by the dot and dash lines in Figure 4.) l/Vhen the pressure on the tube 1 is released the spring 11 forces the mouth 12 of the element13 to close thus stopping any further flow of the contents from the tube.

'It is obvious that the spring 1l should be strong enough to normally` keep the mouth 12 closed yet weak enough to yield to the pressure ordinarily applied by persons squeezing a collapsible tube for the purpose of removing its contents.

The portion 2 serves as a protecting member for the closure element 1'3. This protectingmember may be dispensed with if desired. If the member 2 is dispensed with some element which will serve as a pressure and reacting 'surface to hold the element 13 against the pressure of the spring 1l should be substituted therefor. One such element is a wall member extending upwardly from. the member et and contacting with the upper end of the wall 9 ,another is a second spring member l1.

The disclosure herein is to be understood as being for the purpose of illustration only and lnotlfor the purposeof limitation since many changes may be made in the device herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, the material from which any one or all of the elements of which the ensemble herein disclosed is composed may be varied. Or the shape and size of any one or all of the elements constituting the ensemble herein disclosed may be varied. Of course, the contents .of the tube may be Varied. At present the contents of the collapsible tubes may be pastes or semi-liquids such as tooth-pastas, paints, putty, glue and the like. The above` as Well as other changes may be made withf tion which consists in providing a collapsible tube witha closure member having a flexible mouth associated with a resilient member positioned fori-normally keeping the flexible mouth in its closed position. For this reason it is my desire that the claims which are hereunto appended for the purpose of defining my invention should be limited only by the prior art.

HavingY de scribed my invention what I claim as new and useful is r 1. As an article of manufacture a collapsible tube, a plate having an aperture formed therein carried by the said collapsible tube, a closure member adapted to assume either an open or a closed position carried bythe said silient means carried by thel said plate and positioned for normally keeping the said closure member in its closed position.

2. As an article of manufacture a collapsible tube having an aperture formed therein at one of its ends, a plate having an aperture formed therein positioned within the said tube below the said tube aperture for dividf ing the said tube into two compartments, a closure member-adapted to -occupy an open or a closed position carried by the said plate and positioned so that its lower end contacts with and encircles the bounding walls of the said plate aperture and its upper end extends into the said tube aperture, the width of the said closure member in its closed position being less than the width of the said tube aperture, and a resilient member positioned for normally keeping the said closure member in its closed position.

3 As an article of manufacture a collapsible tube having an aperture formed in the upper end thereof, a U-shaped flange formed in the said tube near its apertured end for receiving a dividing plate, a dividing plate having an aperture formed therein carried by the said U-shaped flange member and positioned within the said tube fordividing the said tube into two compartments, a 'l J shaped flange member formed on the said plate as a bounding member for the said plate aperture, a tubular closure member adapted.

to occupy an open and a closed position positioned upon the said plate so that its lower of its ends anchored in the said plate flange and encircles the said plate aperture and its upper end extendsthrough the said tube aperture, the width of the said upper end of the said closure member in its closed position being less than the width of ,the 'said tube aperture, and a resilient member having one of its ends anchored in the said plate flange and the other of its ends extending freely into the said tube aperture and normally contacting withl the said upper end of the said clon sure member to force the said upper 4end of out departing from the spirit of my inventhe said closure member to remain in its closed position, the said free end of the said resilient member in its normal position being In testimony whereofl I hereby affix my.

signature. y

HEINRICH WEIRICH. 

